A newlywed mum hanged herself in her back garden after spending the afternoon drinking at a village pub.

Amanda Dawn Fowler was discovered by her husband Craig later that night, hours after she had gone to bed in a drunken state.

An inquest heard how he stayed up to watch Match of the Day and then went to the bedroom to find she was no longer there.

He spotted the French doors were wide open at their home in Applecroft, Madeley, and went out to investigate. It was then that he came across his 47-year-old wife’s body, dressed only in a night robe.

Mr Fowler called 999 and started CPR as paramedics were on their way. But he was unable to save her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dawn Fowler (Image: Facebook)

The inquest was told that the couple had been together for more than five years and had married in August last year – almost three months before her death on October 29. Mrs Fowler had three children from previous relationships.

Mr Fowler said his wife, who was known by her middle name and worked as a forage specialist, had been 'like a best friend' to him. He described how they had been 'so happy' as they headed on their honeymoon to Thailand.

But he revealed she had previously made an attempt to harm herself and her mood swings tended to be worse when she had been drinking.

Dawn was found dead by her new husband (Image: Facebook)

On the day she died, they had spent several hours at The Offley Arms, having lunch and drinking with a couple of friends. “Dawn had consumed about five or six large white wines,” he recalled.

He tried to get her to leave the pub and they had a minor argument before walking home to their bungalow.

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Mrs Fowler went to bed at around 7pm and fell asleep, briefly rising later on to go to the bathroom. It was around 10.30pm when she was discovered in the garden.

A post-mortem examination found the cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangulation.

Tests also showed she had so much alcohol in her system that she would have been nearly three times over the drink-drive limit.

Mrs Fowler’s son, Matthew Bromfield, described her as a ‘bubbly’ person who was ‘liked by everybody and had numerous friends’. But he did not get on with her husband and claimed Mr Fowler was trying to ‘control’ her.

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North Staffordshire deputy coroner Anthony Curzon said there was insufficient evidence to prove she had intended to kill herself on the night in question. Her actions may have been influenced by having so much alcohol in her system.

He concluded she died as a result of an accident.

If you are experiencing mental health problems, feeling suicidal, or are concerned about someone else, support is available. Speak with your GP, who can refer into appropriate local services, contact the Staffordshire Mental Health Helpline on 0808 800 2234 for out-of-hours support, or call the Samaritans on 116 123 for a listening ear 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.